How can hacking skills be used to help secure UF's IT systems? Come hear first-hand from UF Network Security Engineers how they took top honors at "the largest underground hacking event in the world," and how they use their "ski11z" to protect UF's information technology assets against threats.

Senior Network Security Engineers, Jordan Wiens and John Sawyer, were part of the eight-member winning team at the DEFCON 2006 "Capture the Flag" competition. Described by organizers as "a knock-down, drag-out cyberninja war," it featured eight teams of varying numbers of members, competing against each other in real time.

Teams were required to employ both offensive strategies, to penetrate the security of competing teams, and defensive strategies to prevent their own systems from being compromised by their opponents.

Distracted by onlookers in a large public room, with loud music and multiple video projections, the team maintained its focus to win their prestigious "Black Badge" passes to all future DEFCONs.

The eight participating teams were selected on the basis of a "qualifying round" which attracted hundreds of teams looking for the chance to compete in this "Superbowl" of hacking.

DEFCON is generally considered to be the world's largest annual hacker conference, but is also attended by security professionals, law enforcement officers, and geeks and groupies fascinated by the hacker culture and mystique.

Sawyer and Wiens will share the challenges of the DEFCON hacking Contest, how they overcame those challenges, and how their participation in the contest benefits UF.

Intended Audience:	UF IT Workers, but all are welcome
Date:	3/27/07
Time:	10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Place:	282 JWRU